Sexting DA Will Not Resign

[LTR]

CHILTON - Calumet County's top prosecutor calls it an embarassing "lapse of judgement."

After an anonymous leak, sexual text messages sent by District Attorney Ken Kratz in October 2009 were exposed. He resigned as chairman from the Wisconsin Crime Victims' Rights Board, but has no intention of leaving his elected post.

(snip)

Now Kratz is under fire for 30 sexual text messages sent to then 25-year-old Stephanie Van Groll,a domestic abuse victim.

Kratz was working the case against the woman's boyfriend and does not deny sending notes like these:

"Are u the kind of girl that likes secret contact with an older married elected DA?"

"I know this is wrong. I am such a honest guy and straight shooter."

"You may be the tall, young, hot nymph, but i am the prize."

http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/103096154.html

Oh, and BTW -- yes, Kratz is a Republican. But you knew that already, right?

[LiberalFighter]

1. Who in their right mind does that when they are in a position intended to help the victims?

[hayrow]

2. My Guess:

A married with young children, family values conservative Christian Republican that was cured by psychotherapy. Is that right?

[midnight]

3. Lapses of judgement have destroyed the Wisconsin Courts. A July survey

revealed that finds most Wisconsinites consider Judges to make decisions based on campaign contributions.

[dragonlady]

4. New reports of Kratz "indiscretion" and Hassett goes on offense

Kratz gave inside information about a crime to a woman during their first date, and then invited her to go with him to a victim's autopsy.

More allegations against Kratz surfaced Monday, when Doyle's office released a letter from a second woman who says Kratz discussed confidential details of an active investigation with her and even invited her to watch a crime victim's autopsy.

Doyle said an aide has spoken with the woman making the latest allegations, but his office has not had a chance to verify her allegations.

"It's mind-boggling," Doyle said of the accusations. "To have an autopsy be used for the premise of a social engagement is just beyond anything anyone can imagine, I think. . . .  That's the part that concerns me the most because it's really the use of official duties, in his official status as district attorney, for purposes completely unrelated to his job as district attorney."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WISCONSIN_PROSECUTOR_SEXTING_WIOL-?SITE=WIMIL&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

He sent harassing sexts to a law student who had asked his help in getting a pardon for an old drug conviction.

Maria Ruskiewicz told The Associated Press on Tuesday that she met Calumet County District Attorney Ken Kratz in his office in 2008 to discuss a decade-old drug conviction. Afterward, she says Kratz sent her text messages that soon turned harassing, including one that asked how she would please him in bed.

An Oklahoma City University of Law administrator confirmed that Ruskiewicz was so upset by the messages that they met in 2008 to discuss how to respond. A Wisconsin prosecutor also says Ruskiewicz told him last year about Kratz's conduct.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/103457119.html

And our candidate for attorney general makes an important point about all this. From his press release:

Scott Hassett, candidate for Wisconsin Attorney General, today released the following statement regarding calls for an independent investigation into JB Van Hollen?s handling of the Ken Kratz 'sexting' case.

'District Attorney Kratz?s conduct is appalling and it makes your blood boil. It is an outrage when a victim of a crime is victimized again by those to whom she turned for legal help. Even more troubling are reports that JB Van Hollen knew about this case for nearly a year and did nothing about it. And as a result of Van Hollen?s inaction, at least one other woman was apparently victimized by Kratz since the original incident.'

'The people of Wisconsin deserve to know why their Attorney General sat on his hands and took no action against a Republican ally, despite pleas for help from the 25 year old victim. Only an independent investigation will reveal the full extent of JB Van Hollen?s misconduct in the Kratz case.'

This could be big.

[PeaceNikki]

5. I hope it *IS* big

It's terrible. Simply awful.

[midnight]

6. I'm glad that Scott Hassett is bringing this into the discussion for the people

of Wisconsin needing to have the facts of how this investigation was handled.

[dragonlady]

7. Hassett on WPR Thursday at 7:30 am

I suspect this topic will be mentioned.

[dragonlady]

8. Van Hollen on WPR Friday at 7 am followed by bedbugs

I simply could not resist posting this.

[hayrow]

9. Although J.B. Van Hollen is a worthless hack,

he is correct about one thing. The idea of any profession policing itself, espcially lawyers, is a joke. Kratz was cleared with less than a slap on the wrist by the State board set up by the Wisconsin Supreme Court. This is really not a dem/puke issue. It is basically lawyers doing what they can, just like doctors, protecting their own at the expense of everyone else.

[ewagner]

10. Resigned this morning

"effective immediately".....said he is getting treatment for his "problem" out of state...will return to Wisconsin and "resume his legal career"....

will not link to the fish wrap local paper....

btw: ANOTHER D.A. story is brewing...stay tuned.

[sybylla]

11. Is that the Wood County DA story?

I saw something about that on WisPolitics a week or so ago but don't remember it.

[ewagner]

12. Breaking

The Wood County DA story is ANOTHER DA scandal and will fester for another couple of weeks while the Sheboygan County Sheriff reopens the case. At question is the surveillance tape which the Hotel night clerk says reveals our DA in a "lewd act" while viewing porn on a computer in the business center.

This was the guy that Doyle appointed even though he REFUSED to identify himself as a Democrat. He was appointed over one legitimate Democrat and one who claimed to be a Dem even though he previously ran for DA in Manitowoc County as a REPUB!

Stay tuned...Wood County is headed for an Olbermann slot....trust me on this one.

[RevCheesehead]

13. Another sex scandal?

Am I the only one who finds it amusing that it's in Wood County? :rofl: